LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

ARTVOICE WEB POLL COMMENTS ON TRAIN STATION DECISION

* Buffalo made the wrong choice, just like destroying Main St. with a “downtown mall”, tearing down Frank Lloyd Wright’s Larkin Factory, building a highway through Delaware Park, building the University at Buffalo 20 miles outside of Buffalo etc., etc.

* The committee passed on an opportunity to bring a great train station back to life. I hope the citizens of the Broadway/Fillmore district remember this when Byron Brown runs for office again.

* I don’t know what went into this decision, but it seems pretty short-sighted. Can Buffalo ever think long term?

• A lost opportunity to restore the terminal to its grandeur and help revitalize a decaying neighborhood. Buffalo…with all your progress, you took many steps back on this one.

* Revive CT and run a shuttle trolley to downtown station

* So much for big-thinking urban planning. The Central Terminal would be a destination location itself. Just another “signature bridge” moment for Buffalo.

* Why would we continue to build up an already busy and thriving area and miss the opportunity to preserve a piece of Buffalo history and expand the revival of the city? Canalside will now be unenjoyably crowded (as it almost is already) and the east side of Buffalo

will continue to rot.

* Buffalo looses again.

* Downtown is short term thinking. the CT is better for the long term both in practicality at a transit hub and economically as a neighborhood booster

* The decision to put the station downtown has F*ckery written all over it. It’s a no brainer – The Central Terminal should augment this region being an Architectural destination.

* Choosing the downtown station is a very shortsighted decision!

* Total lack of vision and imagination

* Buffalo votes to over-saturate the already clogged downtown area instead of using the architectural master piece for its intended purpose.

* The central terminal would be the best location. Downtown is over crowded, terminal has alot of land and room. The tracks leading from the terminal would be perfect for future transit lines

* We must start to envision and begin to make commitments to a restored East side of Buffalo. Downtown/Canalside is for entertainment and recreation spaces.

* Long distance trains cannot backup from downtown thru the Exchange St grade crossing. Central Terminal is by far the best choice!

* The decision to place the Amtrak station Downtown instead of at the Central Terminal was gravely flawed. An opportunity to truly impact our city going forward has been lost,very sad.

* How much can you fit in the downtown/canal side area before ruining it and making it an “undesirable” destination?

* The panel did not consider what the RESIDENTS wanted.

* Central Terminal too beautiful to abandon! Let’s spread the wealth to different areas of Buffalo!

*That corner of Downtown is getting overcrowded and the real estate is far too valuable.

* Central Terminal is in an area needing development a mere 10 minutes from downtown Buffalo. The location arguments for Downtown were pure bunk.

* All of the spending has gone to downtown. We need to spread the wealth to struggling areas in Buffalo like the east side. Not to mention save a historic landmark in the process.

* There is no better opportunity to renew this incredible piece of Buffalo’s history and help a neighborhood in need.

*I would take the train to Buffalo from Cleveland just to go through the Central Terminal.

* A beautiful train station left to ruin. A neighborhood denied it’s chance to revitalize!

* Why waste all that money on a station that can only send trains east? Central Terminal would be a much more reasonable choice for people actually trying to use the trains to travel!

* How do you develop your east side neighborhoods with empty buildings?

* The choice should have been Central Terminal. It’s ridiculous to build a new station downtown that still leaves you having to go to Depew if you want to travel west. Furthernore, Canalside is already becoming over developed.

* When are we going to get serious about helping the East Side? Using Central Terminal was THE most logical opportunity in decades! Why is all the taxpayer funding getting funneled into downtown? Downtown has received enough in the past decade

* The panel had already decided on a site before the meeting, that’s why they had the barricades erected to keep the public away.